3 .. 2 .. 1 .. LAUNCH
Today four more squads of World Racers and one squad of Passport Immersion (nearly 250 people!) left the States to go around the world and spread the love of Jesus! They will live with the poorest of the poor and serve in as many ways as possible. Please pray for safe travel on this amazing journey they are embarking on. Please pray for their families who are trusting God to look after them. Pray for the staff at AIM that will serve them well while they serve for the next 11 months.
Just before they left U Squad got news of another route change. God is sending them to some awesome places that need some serious love! I am sure they're all hoping this is the last change, but with World Race nothing is set in stone until it's over, so whoooo knows!
Due to health and safety issues in their some of original countries, AIM is always taking every precaution and rerouting the racers to a few different countries! And due to some new ministry opportunities, Japan has been added to the world Race itinerary – making U Squad the first World Race Ambassadors to Japan!
Here's the latest schedule:
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China- Sept Thailand- Oct Cambodia- Nov Malaysia- Dec Japan- Jan Albania- Feb Bulgaria- March Romania- April Turkey (NEW!)- May Swaziland (NEW!)- June South Africa (NEW!)- July |
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First stop is China – Beijing first for a quick stop-over before a trip to Harbin. Fun facts from the experts at Wikipedia:
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Harbin is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang province in China's northeast region, as well as the tenth most populous city nationally. According to the 2010 census, the city's urban area has 5,878,939 inhabitants, while the total population of the sub–provincial city is up to 10,635,971. Harbin serves as a key political, economic, scientific, cultural and communications hub in Northeast China. |
| Harbin was founded by Pole Adam Szydlowski in 1898, during construction of the Trans-Manchurian Railway, today known as the Chinese Eastern Railway. |  |
The city first prospered as a region inhabited by an overwhelming majority of the Jewish immigrants.
It is known for its bitterly cold winters and is often called the "Ice City." Harbin is notable for its beautiful ice sculptures in winter.
Once under Russian control Harbin is well known for its Russian legacy, and it still plays an important part in Sino-Russian trade today. In the 1920s, the city was considered China's fashion capital since new designs from Paris and Moscow reached there first before arriving in Shanghai.
In 2010, Harbin was declared a UNESCO "City of Music". Founded in 1908, the Harbin Symphony Orchestra was China's oldest symphony orchestra.
The city may never be the same after U Squad!
